Americans gathering in DC for July 4th festivities

WASHINGTON—Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond are among top entertainers scheduled to perform on the National Mall for Fourth of July celebrations that also will feature a 17-minute fireworks display.

Composer John Williams will conduct portions of his score for the movie "Lincoln" at the patriotic concert, which will take place on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol. The fireworks will explode on the other end of the Mall, near the Lincoln Memorial.

On Thursday afternoon, visitors relaxed in shady spots or enjoyed refreshments at an international folk festival as they waited for the festivities to begin.

Sixteen-year-old Ian Hart of Newport News, Va., was one of them. He said it "just seems appropriate" to be in the nation's capital for the Fourth of July.

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